Custom 5K & 10K Medals for the Races Everyone Enters

The 5K and 10K are where most people run their first race — and where the medal matters most for keeping them coming back. These are high-volume, budget-conscious awards, so we optimize for value: simple, bold designs, efficient tooling, and full-color ribbons that carry your event identity. Zinc alloy for a premium feel, or iron for the lowest cost at scale. Explore all custom race medal categories we produce.

Short-distance medals run 44–64mm, light enough for kids and casual runners, with bright enamel and a fun shape — a running shoe, a bib number, a location landmark. We turn around thousands of 5K medals quickly so they arrive before packet pickup.

Get Free Design & Quote Design Guide

Custom 5K / 10K medal produced by MedalOrigin

Product Samples

Quick Specs — Technical Reference

Specification	Standard	Options / Upgrade
Material	Zinc alloy standard; iron for budget	Brass for premium weight
Size	44–64mm (1.75–2.5 in)	Up to 76mm for 10K premiums
Thickness	2.5–3mm	3–4mm for heft
Enamel	Soft enamel, 1–3 colors cost-effective	Glitter / glow for fun runs
Ribbon	860–900mm × 20mm, full color	800mm children's length available
MOQ	100 per design	Best pricing 1,000+
Production	7–15 days after sample	Rush 7 days with stock molds
Budget tip	Iron + simple 2D design	Lowest tooling cost

Why 5K / 10K Medals From the Factory Floor

Whether it is a neighborhood 5K, a corporate 10K, or a charity walk, the medal is the takeaway that drives next year's registration. We design for that outcome: a fun, recognizable award at a price that works for high participant counts. Browse the race medals overview or plan shape and size in the design guide.

Most 5K/10K medals are 44–64mm zinc or iron with soft enamel in 1–3 colors and a 860–900mm × 20mm ribbon. Iron keeps mold and material cost low for events ordering thousands; zinc adds relief depth and a more substantial feel.

Design Detail

What Makes the Medal Worth Training For

After 15 years producing medals for races from 200-runner local events to 40,000-runner city majors, these are the factors that separate the medals runners keep from the ones that end up in a drawer.

Value-Engineered for High Volume

5K and 10K events often order thousands of medals. We keep cost down with simple, bold 2D designs that need less mold work, iron or standard zinc material, and efficient full-color ribbon printing — without looking cheap. The result is an award participants are proud to wear.

Fun, Recognizable Shapes

Short-distance medals are where playful shapes shine: a running shoe, a bib number, a location landmark, a heart for charity runs. Die-casting holds the detail; soft enamel in bright colors makes it pop. We propose 3 shape concepts in your free 24-hour design.

Kid-Safe for Family Fun Runs

Family 5Ks need child-safe medals: an 800mm × 20mm ribbon and smoothly finished edges, with Reach and RoHS compliant plating (no restricted heavy metals). We size down for younger runners so the award is comfortable all day.

Ribbon Does the Branding

At this volume the ribbon carries most of the identity — race name, date, sponsors — in full color at no extra charge. Woven and sublimated upgrades are available. Ribbon files are archived so reorders match year to year.

Size & Quantity Planning by Distance

A practical starting point for sizing medals and ribbons by distance. We fine-tune sizes and quantities in your free design.

Race distance	Recommended size	Typical plating	Ribbon	Quantity tip
Kids / fun run	44–51mm	Nickel or painted	800mm × 20mm	Child-safe length and edges
5K	44–64mm	Bronze or nickel	860–900mm × 20mm	Order 10–15% above reg
10K	51–76mm	Nickel or gold	860–900mm × 20–25mm	Slightly larger than 5K
Corporate / charity 10K	64–76mm	Gold or two-tone	860–900mm × 25mm	Brand-color matching
Premium 10K	76–89mm	Antique gold	900mm × 25mm	Flagship feel at scale

Die-cast vs stamped vs acrylic medals

Three production routes, three very different finisher medals. Here is how they compare.

Feature	Die-Cast (Zinc)	Stamped (Brass/Iron)	Acrylic
Process	Molten zinc injected into a steel mold at 385°C	Sheet metal struck between dies	Laser-cut and printed sheet
3D relief	Deep sculptural relief, from 0.4mm minimum detail	Shallow raised or recessed, flat overall	Flat, print only — no relief
Detail	Highest — skylines, portraits, fine texture	Moderate — line logos and text	Graphic print, no dimension
Weight & feel	Hefty and premium	Lighter	Lightweight
Best for	Marquee finisher medals	Budget or basic medals	Lightweight, colorful events
Relative cost	Higher	Lower	Lower

Customization Options — Features That Make Your Medal Unforgettable

Spinning Center Element

A compass, gear, or race logo that rotates 360 degrees independently from the outer medal body. The spinner uses a precision rivet post for smooth, durable rotation — popular for races with a journey or navigation theme. Adds roughly 30–50% per-unit cost due to the second mold piece and assembly labor.

Bottle Opener Function

A stainless steel opener insert riveted into the medal body — our most popular add-on for race medals. The post-race celebration accessory built right into the award. Insert style is more durable than integrated edge style and keeps the medal's aesthetic integrity.

Multi-Piece Interlocking

Two or three separate medals that fit together to form one larger image — ideal for race series spanning multiple events or a challenge combining different distances. Each piece is a standalone medal with its own ribbon. When assembled they reveal a complete design that drives series registration.

LED Illumination

A flashing LED embedded behind translucent enamel makes your race logo or skyline glow — unforgettable at evening award ceremonies and popular for night runs. The CR2032 battery is integrated and replaceable. Requires minimum 5–6mm medal thickness; tested for 48+ hours of continuous illumination.

Dual-Plating Two-Tone

Gold body with nickel (silver) skyline highlights, or silver body with rose gold landmark elements. Masking during plating allows two metallic finishes on one medal. Small per-unit surcharge, large perceptual payoff for medals with distinct foreground and background elements.

Custom Packaging

Beyond the standard poly bag: velvet pouches in your race colors, gift boxes with custom-cut foam inserts, acrylic display cases for age-group winners, or custom-printed card backing with race branding. Each option is quoted separately based on quantity.

Factory-Direct — What That Actually Means for Your Race

No Middleman Markup

Every medal goes from our Huizhou factory directly to your race — no distributor, no promotional-products middleman, no awards shop marking it up 2–3 times. Your per-unit price reflects actual manufacturing cost plus reasonable margin, which is why race directors who order 500+ medals annually switch to us and stay.

Consistent Year-Over-Year Quality

Your mold, Pantone enamel formulations, ribbon design files, and plating specifications are all archived. When you reorder next year, we retrieve everything — same detail, same color accuracy, same ribbon feel, same weight in hand. Race directors ordering 5+ consecutive years confirm batch-to-batch consistency is why they stay.

Never Missed a Race Date — 15 Years, Zero Late Deliveries

Mold making, die-casting, polishing, plating, enamel filling, laser engraving, ribbon production, assembly, QC, packaging — all 12 steps happen under our roof. In 15 years we have never missed a client's race date. We build buffer into every schedule; your medals arrive before packet pickup. Guaranteed.

Factory-direct medals — by the numbers

15+

Years making race medals

30,000+

Medals produced per day

50+

Countries shipped

100

MOQ per design

385°C

Zinc die-casting

Electroplating steps

Certifications: ISO 9001, BSCI, Sedex, Reach, RoHS, Disney-approved supplier.

Medal Order Planning Matrix — Quantity, Mold & Lead Time by Event Size

Every race distance is its own production run — its own mold, its own 100-piece minimum, its own plating schedule. This is how a race director plans the whole event family without paying for tooling twice.

Event size	Typical quantity	Molds needed	Unit-price tier	Production window
Local 5K / fun run	100–300 finishers	1 mold (one distance)	Base tier at 100; steps down at 300	7–15 days after sample approval
Half marathon + 5K	300–1,500 finishers	2 molds (one per distance)	300–1,000 tier per design	7–15 days, two runs sequenced
Full marathon	1,000–5,000 finishers	1–2 molds (finisher + age-group)	1,000–5,000 tier	10–15 days; parallel laser stations
Ultra / championship series	500–2,000 across distances	2–4 molds (distance family)	1,000+ tier per design	12–15 days; schedule by distance
Multi-city race series	2,000–10,000 total	Shared shape family, one mold per city	5,000+ tier	Staggered 2–4 weeks by city

Defect Library — Symptom, Cause, Prevention

The faults worth knowing before you approve a sample are the ones that appear in the metal, not in the artwork.

Symptom	Likely cause	How it is prevented
Flow lines on the face	Cavity not polished enough, low machine pressure, or shot fired too fast	Mold polishing schedule and pressure set per part; first-off inspection after casting
Porosity / pinholes	Mold not venting properly	Vent channels cut and checked before the run; samples inspected under magnification
Short fill at sharp corners	Pressure too low for that section	Gate and pressure tuned at sampling; corners radiused at the artwork stage
Plating blisters	Parts not cleaned before the bath, or sealing oil baked before fully dry	Cleaning and full-dry check before plating; tunnel-oven schedule fixed at 100°C / 40 min
Enamel colour bleeding	Fill area below the minimum (0.3 mm soft / 0.5 mm hard)	Artwork thickened at the proof stage; Pantone matched before production
Ribbon print misregistration	Artwork not set up with bleed and fold allowance	Print file checked against the 4-fold construction before the run

Finish & Packaging

5K / 10K medal finish detail — 5K / 10K medal — 3D die-cast relief, Pantone enamel and plating detail

Explore related medals & guides

Race Medals Overview All 15 race types we make Charity Walk / Run Medals Fundraiser and nonprofit awards Kids Medals Child-safe youth awards Event Medals Corporate and festival awards Medal Ribbons Lengths and printing Medal Design Guide Shape and size planning Bulk Custom Medals Volume pricing

5K / 10K Medal FAQ — Answers From the Factory Floor

What is the most budget-friendly 5K medal?

An iron medal with a simple 2D design and 1–3 soft enamel colors is the lowest-cost option at volume — iron keeps both material and tooling cost down. Zinc alloy adds relief depth and a more substantial feel for a modest step up in price.

What size should a 5K or 10K medal be?

44–64mm is standard for 5K, 51–76mm for 10K. Family fun runs use 44–51mm with an 800mm child-safe ribbon. Bigger sizes cost more in material and mold, so size to your budget and participant age.

Can we get medals fast for a short-notice event?

Yes. With in-stock molds and accelerated production we can deliver in as little as 7 days after sample approval. Rush options exist for events with tight timelines — tell us your date and we will propose a plan.

Do you make safe medals for kids' fun runs?

Yes. We use an 800mm × 20mm ribbon and smooth finished edges, with Reach and RoHS compliant plating. Smaller, lighter medals keep younger runners comfortable.

Can the ribbon show our sponsors?

Yes — full-color ribbon printing with race name, date, and sponsor logos is included in the quote. Woven and sublimated upgrades are available for a premium look.

What is the MOQ and how does volume pricing work?

100 pieces per design, with unit price stepping down at 300, 1,000, 5,000, and 10,000. Short-distance events typically hit the better tiers easily given participant counts.

Start Your 5K / 10K Medals Project

Tell us about your event — the distance, the location, and how many finishers you expect. We will create a free custom design with 3D renderings and a detailed line-item quote within 24 hours. No obligation.

Prefer to browse first? Explore medal materials, see our 12-step manufacturing process, or review our design guide.

Get Free Design & Quote Now